Competing polls disagree on which gubernatorial candidate is in the lead.
A new poll out Friday from the Monmouth University Polling Institute says Democrat John Gregg leads Republican Eric Holcomb 50 percent to 38 percent with four percent support for Libertarian Rex Bell and 7 percent undecided. The margin of error is 4.9 percent.
In releasing the poll, Monmouth noted that the gubernatorial race shows a major shift, having been virtually tied in its August poll.
Responding to the announcement, the Holcomb campaign said in a press release, "This poll is a complete outlier and laughably inconsistent with every other public poll released this election season."
In a second release hours later, the Holcomb campaign released a poll commissioned by the Holcomb campaign and performed by BK Strategies, a professional strategy and executive communications consultancy, according to its website. showing the candidates in a dead heat with 42 percent each. The margin of error is 3.5 percent.
"We're confident of our position heading into the fast few weeks," says Jeff Harris, Communications Director for the Gregg campaign. "Every public poll that's come out over the last month or longer has showed us tied or in the lead, and that's a phenomenal place to be as a Democrat in a Republican-leaning state."
The Monmouth poll also reports Donald Trump leading Hillary Clinton in Indiana 45 percent to 41 percent, with nine percent for Libertarian Gary Johnson with five percent undecided. Monmouth writes this shows a tightening of the race compared to the 11 point lead Trump had in August.
In the race to succeed retiring Republican Sen. Dan Coats, former Sen. Evan Bayh holds a 48 percent to 42 percent lead over Rep. Todd Young, essentially unchanged from Monmouth's August results.
The Monmouth poll was conducted by telephone from Oct. 11-13. The Holcomb campaign poll was conducted by telephone over the same time period. Both included a mix of landlines and cell phones.
